DiRT 2 UK Review

Mud, sweat and gears.

It sets out its stall early on, opening with a raucous rally-cross race through a deserted Battersea Power Station under some rare London sun, with the drivers – Ken Block, Dave Mirra and a host of real-life names from America's X Game series – all chiding each other to the soundtrack of spluttering exhausts and sparkling indie-rock. Anyone who balked at the US twang the Colin McRae series picked up in the first DiRT will be initially appalled at the sequel's open-armed embrace of the extreme end of off-road motorsport, but it's hard to stay narked for too long – DiRT 2 takes the template of the original and polishes it to within an inch of its life, resulting in one of the most downright exciting driving games in many a year.

Click through to see the exclusive launch trailer.

The X Games forms a loose framework for the game's world tour which drinks in nearly every facet of off-road racing and spits out a hyper-charged version of its real-world inspiration. Raids take in the humid jungles of Malaysia and the deserts of Baja, rally-cross events play out in front of packed stadiums in LA and London and onto the streets of Tokyo while Trailblazers send players solo across the plains of Morocco and China, and for the traditionalists there's still a hearty slice of old-school rally action in the mix – and they're all portrayed through a hyperactive filter. Like Codemasters' previous racing games, variety is key – but in DiRT 2 there's a newfound level of cohesion across the numerous disciplines on display.

Tying the game together is another of the studios' lavishly-produced menu systems, this time framed within and around the player's globe-trotting RV. Inside the authentically grotty vehicle – a discarded pair of overalls is slung across a sofa, while clouds of dust hang tangibly in the air – maps, magazines and posters act as portals for the game's many activities. Outside, the player's vehicle sits waiting under an awning, with spectators milling around while indie rock plays somewhere in the middle distance. It's a good job the menus are so visually appealing as a large part of game time will be spent navigating the virtual RV and its surroundings - after our first three hours spent with DiRT 2, it was a little disconcerting to be told that we'd only spend some fifty minutes of that behind the wheel.

Water's now a track surface in its own right, slowing cars and splashing realistically across the in-car windscreen.

Thankfully, the driving is well worth sticking around for. Underneath the game's handsome excess is a handling model that's both refined and rewarding, helping dispel fears that after the loose feel of DiRT and GRID that Codemasters had lost its touch with driving games. Worried it's too casual? Take an over-powered trailblazer car on a point to point tour of Morocco or Utah and you'll soon change your tune. This is driving without a safety net – the co-driver that accompanies the player on normal rally events is nowhere to be seen, perhaps sensibly scarpering when he looked at what exactly they put under the bonnet of these brutal machines. It's thus driving on instinct alone, with the open vistas encouraging a heavy throttle foot while that cliff edge that's fast approaching on the horizon suggests you exercise a little more care.